Of Pride And Motorbikes
by Laurus Nobilis
Summary: After being freed, Sirius tells Harry about the first time he rode his bike at Hogwarts.


**Of  Pride and Motorbikes**

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_Disclaimer:_ All characters are copyright J.K. Rowling.

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_Author's Note:_ Here's a little happy fic for Sirius, as I promised Drachenaugen after I wrote that really angsty ficlet about the Whomping Willow. Poor Sirius needed some compensation, I have to admit it ;)

Not even a month after being declared innocent, Sirius was already hyperactive. His old house, abandoned for so many years, needed to be repaired in order to be inhabited again. It didn't help much that Sirius wanted everything to be absolutely perfect. He had to make up for all the time his godson had spent at Privet Drive.

At first he had been unsure about it. Even after Voldemort's defeat and with all the proofs they needed, the Ministry officers had taken their time to "analyze the case", as they put it. When they finally admitted Sirius's innocence, Harry was already out of Hogwarts, eighteen years old, and no longer in need of a tutor. His godfather had been worried that he may want to live on his own, and gave him the chance to choose. But Harry had been looking forwards to living with Sirius for over four years. Being of age hadn't changed that.

So, with the help of his many friends, Sirius had managed to make the house and the garden look as good as new. That morning had arrived the last, long awaited detail. Which wasn't received quite as Sirius had expected.

"What's that old thing doing in the garden?" Harry asked, looking at the battered black motorbike.

"Old thing!" Sirius gasped. "That's the best motorbike you'll ever see in your life, young man. It may look a bit rusty now, but with a bit of revamping, it'll be a good girl again. This is the _real thing_, Harry; not like those useless things they make now that get broken in a week."

"For some reason, I have the feeling that they would break in a week if you owned them," the boy said. "But, honestly, Sirius- rusty? More like disastrous. You're going to need more than a couple of spells to make that work again."

"Well, of course! It's always required some Muggle handiwork besides the spells. It _is_ from Muggle origin, after all," Sirius explained. "C'mon, let's give it a closer look."

As they approached the bike, Harry suddenly felt something very strange- as if he had seen it before. Then he remembered…

"Does it fly?"

"Why would I want it if it didn't?"

Harry smiled. "Then I've already rode it."

Sirius stared at him for a moment, puzzled. "Of course…" he finally said. "Hagrid! I'd forgotten about that."

"How did you get it?" Harry asked, much more interested now. "I somehow doubt it was in a shop in Diagon Alley."

"Oh, I saved for years to buy it. I got it from a Muggle scrap merchant during the holidays after my sixth year. After I managed to make it fly, I took it to Hogsmeade and from there to Hogwarts. You can't imagine the number of times I've sneaked out on this beauty," he said, patting it with a proud, almost fatherly smile.

"Why don't you tell me about it?"

"Well," Sirius said thoughtfully, "I think the first time deserves to be told…"

* * *

"And exactly _where_ are we going?" Sirius heard Remus ask from behind him as they strode through the dark tunnel.

"Remember the shed where we used to practice the Animagi transformations? I've decided to give it another use."

"But why did you have to show it to us at three in the morning?" Peter yawned. "It's the first night of the term and you're making us stay up already. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"No way!" James said forcefully. "He's been promising to show this to me the whole summer. I'm dying of curiosity here."

"It'll be worth it, Prongs, it'll be worth it," his friend assured him.

"Peter has a point, though. I really should get some sleep-"

"Oh, please, Moony, you got your sleep during the whole train ride," Sirius said. "Besides, our first class tomorrow is History of Magic. You can sleep through that."

"Our last year at Hogwarts deserves to start with something more exciting than Binns!" James exclaimed. Nobody tried to argue that.

It didn't take them long to reach the end of the tunnel, which led into the shed. Sirius proudly showed his friends his latest obsession, the work of his own hands, his baby.

The three boys saw something black, shiny, and with two wheels. They stared at it with blank faces until James broke the silence.

"And that is…?"

"A motorbike! C'mon, you ignorants, I'll show you."

Sirius took it out of the shed, followed by the others. Then, with a deafening noise, he took off.

It was the most wonderful feeling ever- ten thousand times better than flying on a broom. It was amazing just to feel the wind on his face, to hear the powerful engines… to know he had absolute control. He could see nothing but the Forbidden Forest below him and the stars above him. Yet he wasn't in the least worried. He wasn't worried when he did this on a broom, and the bike was much safer; it was easier to stay on, at least. And for an expert flyer as Sirius was, it was also easier to handle. He performed some acrobatics just for the fun of it before he returned.

His friends were all covering their ears with their hands.

"Are you insane?" Remus shouted, still not hearing well. "They could hear that thing from London!"

"You should have used a Silent charm," James said. "But it doesn't matter. It's awesome! You have to let me try it."

"I have to teach you how to use it first. I don't want you to break it. And I'm never,_ ever_, going to silent it. The sound adds to the feeling," Sirius said. "Well, gentlemen, anyone care for a ride?"

"With you driving it?" Peter snorted. "In your dreams."

"Not me, unless you want me to be sick on that fancy leather jacket of yours," Remus said.

"And you call yourselves Gryffindors!" Sirius exclaimed in a mock indignant tone. "That leaves you, Prongs."

James eyed the motorbike warily. 

"Dunno, Padfoot," he said, "that looks pretty much like a girl's spot to me…"

Sirius grinned. "Well, I could always invite Lily-"

"Over my dead body!" his friend snapped, leaping onto the bike. They quickly took off, rising into the night sky.

"Girl's spot or not, it's worth it!" James shouted over the other boy's shoulder. "Just think of the stuff we can do with this!"

Sirius smiled dangerously and made it fly even faster. He was certain that they'd have the most exciting year. 


End file.
